The ability to litho-print a lenticular lens using a conventional off-set printing press configured with a UV Lamp is known in the art, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,854 below. The ability to adhere the printed lens to other plastic substrates and obtain a destructive bond between the lens and the substrate can be intricate and difficult, see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,473,406, and 5,532,786.
Processes for the preparation of articles with a lenticular surface are known, reference for example the following documents.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,316, issued Nov. 8, 1983, to Conley, there is disclosed a flexible composite sheet material having a thermoset patterned relief surface of high quality and definition which is particularly useful for producing high quality optical sheet components such as a lenticular screen sheet for producing three-dimensional pictures and photographs. The composite sheet comprises a flexible base film having front and rear surfaces and a layer of a cured thermosetting polymer overlying the front surface of the base film. The cured thermosetting polymer layer has a nonplanar outer surface defining a predetermined desired relief pattern of high quality and durability and of fine definition in the thermosetting polymer layer. See for example Example I therein.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,723, issued Nov. 14, 1995, to Dotson, there is disclosed a radiation curable adhesive composition which comprises from 15 to 85 percent by weight of beta-carboxyethyl acrylate and from 85 to 15 percent by weight of 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate based on the total weight of the composition. The adhesive provides improved adhesion for laminating a lineiform image sheet to a lenticular array sheet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,406 (apparatus), issued Dec. 5, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,786 (method), issued Jul. 2, 1996, both to Hassall, et al., there is disclosed an image sheet (12) coated with a radiation curable adhesive (48) at a coating station and then laminated to a lenticular array sheet (20) at a laminating station (50). A lamination of the image and array sheets is then positioned on an aligning station (56) where the lenticules of the array sheet are aligned with the image lines (16) of the image sheet. The adhesive is set at a curing station (60).
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,854, issued Jun. 13, 2000, to Bravenec et al., there is disclosed a card (10) for use as a telephone authorization card or the like is comprised of a layer of a backing material (20) such as a stiff plastic material which has some pliability. A thin sheet lenticular lens material (12) has a flat surface (14) on which is printed selected interlaced images. On the other side of the lens material is formed a plurality of lenticules (16) through which the images are viewed. The flat side of the lenticular material is secured to one face (22) of the backing in a convenient manner. A cutting tool is used to form an opening (32) in the outer face of the lenticules and a programmed microchip (30) is inserted in the opening and secured in place. On the outer face of the backing material a magnetic strip (40) containing magnetically encoded indicia is secured. The card is usable in a reader (R) which can scan the magnetic strip and read information from the microchip to allow the user to place a telephone call or conduct other transactions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,164, issued Aug. 2, 1966, to Jerothe et al., there is disclosed a color dynamic, three-dimensional flexible film and method of making the film. The film includes a transparent sheet having a lenticulated outer surface and line printed or image opposite surface.
The above patents are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
In view of limitations of available processes for preparing lenticulated articles, such as efficiency and cost, a need exists for improved processes for the preparation of high quality lenticulated articles.